Recent public polling shows a trend of support starting to grow for the health care plan nowunder consideration while opposition to reform is on the decline. In fact, most recent publicpolls show support and opposition to the plan is roughly even.

When comparing the Pollster.com average from the three months prior to the President’sState of the Union speech to the five weeks since then, the data shows a 13-point shift in “favoring vs. opposing health care.” (The averages for both of these time periods filters outRasmussen polling, which Pollster.com has described as having a strong “house effect” thatleans Republican).

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Since February 1, this average now stands at 44% favor/45% oppose for a net of -1%.

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In the preceding three months this average was -14, at 38% favor and 52% oppose.

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More noteworthy is that recent polling that shows solid majorities of Americans want actionon this issue and reject the status quo as an acceptable course:

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Franklin and Marshall finds that an overwhelming 75% majority believes the health caresystem is in need of reform while only 20% do not believe so. (Franklin and Marshall,2/8)

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Shortly after the President’s State of the Union speech and even prior to the President’shealth care summit, an ABC/Washington Post poll found that a solid 63% majoritywanted lawmakers in Washington to “keep trying to pass a comprehensive health carereform plan” while just 34% thought they should “give up on comprehensive health carereform.” (ABC/WashPo, 2/8)

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Ipsos finds that among those who oppose health care reform, a full 37% say theyoppose it because they believe current proposals “don’t go far enough” to reform healthcare. (Ipsos/McClatchy, 2/28).